Featured Reviews

Elephant Hill 2018 Syrah Rosé and 2016 Merlot Cabernet Malbec

26 October,2018

With vineyards in Te Awanga, the Gimblett Gravels and in the
Bridge Pa Triangle, Elephant Hill has the ability to blend fruit to make wines
with balance and integrated character. I’m
sure this facet has seen all of the Elephant Hill wines step up in quality over
the recent years. Winemaker Steve
Skinner has no doubt enjoyed the potential to have wines of greater detail and
finesse. It is with regret that Steve is
leaving Elephant Hill to pursue other ventures, but he leaves the company in
the best position it has been in, in my opinion, having tasted many of his
latest top, exciting new single vineyard and ‘estate’ wines. Here, I review the 2018 Syrah Rosé and 2016
Merlot/Cabernet/Malbec, both employing grapes from the different sites as
suits. www.elephanthill.co.nz

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

Elephant Hill Hawke’s Bay Syrah Rosé 2018

Rose from New Zealand – Hawke’s Bay

18+/20

Bright,
pale strawberry pink colour with some depth, lighter on the edge. The nose is fresh, firm and tightly bound
with elegantly proportioned aromas of red cherries and nuances of cranberries
and pomegranate, along with a subtle amalgam of fresh herbs and mouthwatering
minerals. Dry to taste and
medium-bodied, the palate has an elegant heart with restrained and delicate
flavours of cherries, cranberries and pomegranate, unfolding subtle red floral
lift and nuances of fresh herbs. The
palate has fruit sweetness and is enlivened by refreshing, lacy acidity. The wine flows along a very fine line,
leading to a light, long finish. This is
an elegant dry rosé with restrained flavours of cherries, cranberries and
pomegranate with floral and herb notes on a refreshing palate. Serve as an aperitif, with canapés and
antipasto over the next 2 years. 100% Syrah fruit, 88% Gimblett Gravels, 7% Te Awanga
and 5% Bridge Pa, WBP and fermented in tank to 12.5% alc. and approx. 2 g/L RS,
the wine aged 6 months on lees. 18.0+/20 Oct 2018
RRP $26.00

Elephant Hill Hawke’s Bay Merlot/Cabernet/Malbec 2016

Blended Red from New Zealand – Hawke’s Bay

18.5/20

Dark, deep,
black-hued ruby-red colour, a little lighter on the rim. The nose is elegantly presented with finely
concentrated and packed aromas of ripe dark-red and black plums and berry fruit,
along with subtle notes of blackcurrants and herbs, with spiced blackberries
and iron-earth elements emerging in the glass.
Medium-full bodied, the palate has a rich and well-packed heart with
deep and dense flavours of ripe, savoury dark-red and black plum fruit,
entwined with some blackcurrants, spiced plum, liquorice and earthy interest. The fruit sweetness is balanced by fine,
grainy tannin structure lending grip and texture. The wine carries to a long finish of plums
and liquorice with some alcoholic power.
This is a rich and well-packed Merlot blend with plum flavours along
with liquorice and spice, iron-earth complexity on a fine, grainy palate. Match with roasted lamb, beef and venison,
and semi-hard cheeses over the next 6+ years.
A blend of 67% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec and 5%
Cabernet Franc, 55% from the Gimblett Gravels and 45% from the Triangle
vineyards, fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 22 months in 30% new French
oak barriques. 18.5/20 Oct 2018
RRP $36.00